Reports show sexual misconduct and false claims within the Chicago Police Department

[June 19, 2023]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Chicago Office of the Inspector General released two reports of the Chicago Police Department late last month showing issues within the department that include sexual misconduct and false reporting.

One report highlights over 30 investigations into sexual misconduct within the department. It lists sustained findings including officers inappropriately touching subjects, an inappropriate sexual encounter with a victim and improper use of police cameras in which one officer zoomed in on a female subject "in an inappropriate manner." Several cases led to prosecutions.

Another report shows over 100 instances of police filing false reports, which is an offense within CPD that could lead to termination, but the report says officers were left on duty after these filings.

The reports highlight issues within the Chicago Police Department during 2022.

The OIG recommends that any officer who was caught filing a false report should be removed from any position where they would have to file reports and recommends better investigations regarding sexual misconduct claims.

The Chicago Police Department said its members are held to the highest standards.

"Our sworn and civilian members are expected to act with integrity as we work to build and maintain credibility and trust among the communities we serve," said a statement from CPD. "We have taken the Office of Inspector General's recommendations under consideration, and have already made progress to complete and implement several of the recommendations."

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, told The Center Square that the reports reaffirm what many people in the community think about CPD.

"I think that it's been what I would call revealing, and these are things that people in these neighborhoods have been saying for years," Ford said.

According to the OIG report, CPD members found to have made false reports, either written or orally, have not always been separated from the department. As of November 2022, CPD employed a minimum of approximately 110 members with such violations, five of whom have two separate cases resulting in final disciplinary outcomes.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he is doing everything he can to solve the issues.

"I am committed to constitutional policing, and also committed to making sure that we have leadership within our police department that engenders confidence in our rank and file members, trust, and accountability," Johnson said. "I think everyone in this room knows what I have inherited."

Regarding the sexual misconduct findings, the OIG recommended more reporting, compliance audits and explanations for the lack of investigative activity within investigative files.

"Additionally, [the Bureau of Internal Affairs] and [the Civilian Office of Police Accountability] should prioritize these investigations over less serious allegations," the report said.

CPD BIA responded in agreement, but said resources are lacking.

"BIA, like other bureaus of the Department, suffers a lack of resources in the number of investigators assigned and is subject to deployments throughout the year for a variety of events," the agency said. "BIA currently prioritizes these investigations over less serious allegations."

Ford said he hopes to see change come as a result of these reports.

"What we see is evidence of what members of the communities have been saying for years," Ford said. "When you have situations like this, that's how we get the change we need in these systems."

Along with internal issues, Chicago Police Department CompStat numbers show that aggravated batteries are up 17%, burglaries are up 12% and car thefts are up 153% in the last month compared to the same time frame last year.

Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.